Alongside with Jewish, Roma and Slavic people, political opponents, and disabled people, thousands of homosexual people were tortured and killed by the Nazis.

On 27 January 2005 the European Parliament will debate and vote on a resolution on remembrance of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism and racism. ILGA-Europe is pleased the resolution contains reference to homosexual victims of the Holocaust and highlights the importance of learning the dangers of victimising people because of their differences, including sexual orientation.

The draft resolution states that ‘ hundreds of thousands of Jews, Roma, homosexuals, Poles and other prisoners of various nationalities were murdered’ at Auschwitz-Birkenau and stresses that remembrance events are important not only as occasions to remember and condemn Nazis’ crimes but also to learn ‘wider lessons about the dangers of victimising people on the basis of race, ethnic origin, religion, politics or sexual orientation.’

Patricia Prendiville, Executive Director of ILGA-Europe said:

‘It is a very important resolution and we are pleased homosexual victims of Nazi persecutions are being given delayed but deserved recognition and remembrance alongside with the other groups of Holocaust victims. Unfortunately the historical fact of systematic persecution of homosexual men and women by the Nazi regime is still being denied by some individuals and organisations and in some countries homosexual victims are being excluded from official remembrance events. I hope this resolution will promote just and unprejudiced understanding of the history and will eradicate unfair denial and exclusion of homosexual victims.’

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